A Fledgling's Test
by Neph Champion
Summary: Marth cannot help seeing them across the ring and smiles.
**Title: Clash of the Exalt**

 **Writer: Neph Champion**

 **Idea: Lucina can't help but watch her parents interact, it doesn't even matter that this pair isn't technically her parents. Seeing them together brings memories of what used to be to the front of her mind. The bittersweet happiness they used to have is haunting, and made all the worse by the fact that she still has not found her little siblings.**

 **Summary: Marth cannot help seeing them across the ring and smiles.**

 **Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Fire Emblem.**

 **Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.**

(Twin Falchion)

Lucina sighed as she watched her mother chat with her father. How she wanted to be over there, snuggled up to her mother's side as she had when she was younger, or maybe snuggled up to her father. She smiled as a memory surfaced, one after the Valm war, but before her mother returned from Plegia a widow just after he siblings, the twins, Morgan (the eldest) and Marc (the youngest and baby) were born.

She closed her eyes.

 _First Timeline: Eleven Years Ago: Ylisstol_

 _"But Father, why is mother in pain?" the five year old Lucina asked as she clutched her father's cape, flinching as her mother screamed again._

 _"It's time for your younger sibling to arrive Luci," Father replied with a gentle smile as he rubbed her back soothingly._

 _"But Mother's been in there already for six hours! I want to meet them_ _ **now**_ _."_

 _Her father just held her tight and a few minutes later they heard the cries of an infant._

 _Thinking it was over, her father scooped her up and slowly made his way to the door, ready to knock and inquire about her mother and new younger sibling's health. He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening almost comically when they heard her mother's tired, surprised scream of pain._

 _Lucina blinked. "Father, what's going on?"_

 _"Oh Gods," she heard her father mutter in disbelief. "_ _ **Twins**_ _."_

 _She yelped when her father fell to his knees. "Father?" she asked in concern "How long are we going to be here?"_

 _Her Father licked his lips. "Hopefully not too much longer Lucina," he whispered as he pet her hair._

 _Luckily for her and her father, it was only a few more minutes before they heard the cries of another infant, and Aunt Sumia let them in. "Congratulations, Captain," Aunt Sumia smiled. "You have a very healthy set of twins."_

 _She handed him her blue bundle. "This is your little boy, and he's the elder of the set,"_

 _Her father smiled as he leaned over to get a better look at her little brother. "Father, I want to see too."_

 _"In a minute," her father reassured her._

 _Aunt Sumia nodded and leaned down a little so that Lucina could also see. "He's all red," Lucina told them matter-of-factly._

 _Aunt Sumia giggled. "Yes he is," she agreed, watching as Lucina's father sat her on her mother's bed. "Would you like to hold him Captain?"_

 _Her father nodded, holding out his arms. "Yes please, Sumia."_

 _Aunt Sumia settled the baby gently into his father's arms and her father sat down next to her on her mother's bed. "He's beautiful," her father whispered._

 _Aunt Lissa stepped forward next. "And this is your daughter. She's the younger twin."_

 _Lucina kicked her shoes off and stood on the bed to get a better look at her baby sister. "She's all red too." She plopped back down to pout. "I was hoping I could play with them but they're tiny."_

 _Lucina whipped around when she heard her mother's tired laughter. "You'll just have to wait, my dearest Light."_

 _"But Mother."_

 _"No Luci," her mother smiled wearily as she sat up. "May I hold one of the twins?"_

 _Aunt Lissa gently deposited her baby sister into her mother's lap. "Here you are, Robin."_

 _"Thank you Lissa," her mother whispered as she wrapped her baby sister in her arms and picked her up. "Oh aren't you beautiful."_

 _Lucina really couldn't help her pout._

 _"They need names," her father leaned over so her mother could see her brother. "What do you think?"_

 _"I think our little boy will be Morgan, and our baby girl…" Mother paused, "Marc, after the tactician that aided King Marth."_

 _Timeline Two: Regna Ferox Arena_

Gods, Marc and Morgan were only eleven, almost twelve. How could she have let them out of her sight? Lucina felt the bile rise in her throat and forced it back down. As soon as this was over she'd be leaving to find them, her parents would beat her. They were too good for her to beat alone.

Even if Marc and Morgan _had_ been here, they'd never been able to out think their mother before. If her parents ever found out that she'd lost the twins…Lucina struggled to keep from covering her mouth with a hand. She didn't think she'd ever felt so sick in her life.

Lucina knew that the moment her mother realized who she was, she would never get those promised magic lessons, and Mother would forbid Father ever giving her another lesson in swordplay. What if her baby brother and sister were dead?

Lucina's head jerked up when she heard her Aunt Lissa exclaim to her father. "Chrom, look!"

"I see him," she heard her father say.

She kept her mouth shut, knowing that she might reveal all if she opened her mouth and wondered if she was really that good of an actress.

"Marth," her father called, "a question before we begin."

Lucina decided in that moment that she hated the sound of the Hero-King of old's name coming from his mouth as he addressed her and wished with all she was that she could correct him. She could feel tears forming in her eyes again and silently thanked Gerome for her mask one more time.

She heard her father sigh and forced her mind back onto the fight she was just about to have with one of the two people that she never wished to.

"Fine then, our swords will speak for us," her father declared and it was all she could do not to flinch.

Lucina swallowed silently as she drew her Falchion from its sheath, her grip way tighter than it should have been, in the guarded position that her father himself had taught her. She almost winced when she saw his eyes widen in shock.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded. "There's no way."

She closed her eyes as her father's voice trailed off, keeping alert with her ears as her mother had so lovingly taught them before coming home a widow, and then had quite liberally forced down their throats after.

Lucina wasn't afraid to admit that she and her younger siblings had quite happily taken to her lessons. They had looked forward to them even since after their father had been murdered she'd taken up the title of Exalt herself. She hadn't been willing to let Aunt Lissa kill herself working.

After that, Robin, Queen of Ylisse, had had very little time to spend with her three children, and she, Marc and Morgan understood.

 _First Timeline: Six Years Ago: Ylisstol_

 _"Mother?"_

 _Her mother's head shot up and she turned tired eyes on her three children, "Lucina, Marc, Morgan, shouldn't you be in bed?"_

 _"But we aren't sleepy," Lucina replied. "You forgot our lessons today."_

 _Her mother's eyes widened, and her face paled. "I am so sorry my dears. I have no idea where the time went. Here, I'll put you to bed myself. How's that?"_

 _"Ok," Lucina replied, watching as her mother stood from her chair._

 _Her mother picked Marc up and took Lucina's hand. "Would you like a story or a lullaby tonight?"_

 _"Sing for us, Mother."_

 _Lucina smiled. Of course Morgan would choose that, their mother had the most beautiful voice in the whole Halidom._

 _"Alright my loves," her mother smiled as she set Marc on their bed and Lucina boosted Morgan up before climbing up herself and getting under the covers._

 _Their mother turned to look out the window. "The stars are very beautiful…"_ [1]

 _Timeline Two: Ferox Arena_

Lucina snapped out of her memory when she heard her father begin to move and was ready when he flipped, bringing his Falchion down on hers hard. He made several swings. Wincing at each clash, she parried all of them. Her father was powerful. Her arm was going numb, but she couldn't give in.

"Tell me," her father demanded after a particularly savage swing of his sword, "who taught you to fight like that?"

Lucina smiled. 'You did father,' she thought proudly. If he knew would he be proud that she'd just fought him to a standstill?

"My father," she replied almost softly, almost fondly, before jumping back and retreating to the other side of the ring. Silently she cursed. How could her arm be so numb? Her father hadn't engaged her that hard had he?

Lucina watched with sharp eyes and had to strain her ears, but she could see her father return to her mother's side and what they said.

"Marth is a gifted swordsman," her mother said. Lucina glowed internally at the very rare praise she was getting from her mother. "His men look capable as well. We should mind our distance."

Lucina hated the way Marth fell from her parent's lips and longed for the day she could tell them who she really was. She couldn't help her wide smile. Her second run in with them and each time- _each time-_ her mother had praised her. It sent her morale soaring after so long searching for the others and nothing. It was the boost that she hadn't known she'd needed.

Knowing that she wasn't doing nearly as well as she would have been had Morgan and Marc been here, she directed her troops as best she could and cringed each time one of her men had to forfeit.

Finally, it was just her and her parents, and Lucina had to bite back the unreasonable fear she felt when she noticed that all the Shepherds chosen for the match were still standing. This so was not fair.

'I knew I'd never be able to beat my Mother on my own,' she scolded herself and got ready as her father approached her. It was all she could do to keep herself from shaking.

"Who is your father?" Lucina looked up at her father when he asked and wished she could say.

"I've said enough for one day sir," she forced herself to say.

Her father snorted. "Is that how it is?" She felt her fear raise as he grit his teeth. "Robin owes you her life, and for that, I owe you my gratitude."

Reminding herself that it was illegal to kill when in this arena, Lucina had to push her fear away, though she didn't think her father could be that mad.

"But, within these walls, I represent the East Khan and the interests of Ylisse," her father continued, and Lucina made sure to listen, relishing the sound of her father's voice. She also didn't want to miss anything.

"I can't promise to stay my blade," Lucina cursed herself for actually flinching at her father's words. Her eyes traveling over her father's shoulder to look at her mother and knew that the tactician had noticed. "However, I vow not to shame you."

Lucina forced herself to smile, to say the words she would never otherwise say forcing herself to laugh even. "Never expected such youthful arrogance," she swallowed again and licked her lip, a bad habit she'd picked up from her mother. "We shall see who shames who."

Lucina dove into battle again, bringing her sword down hard and was surprised when her blade caught and broke her mothers. "Not this time," her mother smirked, and Lucina was suddenly very scared.

Lucina's head snapped to the left and saw her father in the one stance she had hoped to never be on the business end of. "Your time has come!" he announced and hit her so hard with the flat of his Falchion that she was sure at least two of her ribs were broken.

Lucina winced as she was thrown off her feet and went skidding for several yards. She almost couldn't hold in her gasp of pain. Her vision went white. "Impressive," she breathed painfully when she was finally able to lift her head without her vision blurring, "if not surprising."

She knew that she should not be surprised that her parents had beaten her. She watched them celebrate their victory for a few minutes, noticing when her mother slipped one of her gloved hands into her father's, before painfully lifting herself up off the stadium floor and limped out.

She slipped her mask off when she collapsed at a nearby stream and looked into her reflection. She pulled off her armor and lifted her shirt. "That's going to be one nasty bruise," she laughed painfully, "but Father would have cleaved me clean in two if he'd have used the blade of Falchion. I guess I got really lucky today…"

And though she'd been so thoroughly beaten, Lucina's spirits had never been so high.

(End)

[1] Cost of the Crown: I don't own it! Love the song though and think it makes the perfect lullaby for Lucina!

…I have to stop getting sidetracked from ABFD and DH… at this rate I'll probably end up doing this for each of Lucina's appearances as Marth… Thanks to my Beta for looking over and fixing my mess as usual!


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